Fish-hook.



No. 639,74l. Patented Dec. 26, I899. R. KOEN.

FISH HOOK.

"(Application filed Sept. 18, 1899.

(No Model.)

W/ZZVQGSSGSI jmfenior" I Nrrn ROBERT KOEN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

FISH-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639, 741, datedDecember 26, 1899.

' Application filed September 18, 1899. Serial No. 730,863. (No model.)

To all wltom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT KOEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Im proveinents in Fish-Hooks, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in what are known as Weedlesshooks, in which the hook is provided with 'a guard extendingsubstantially from the point to the shank of the hook to prevent thedirect engagement of weeds with the point of the hook, as well as toassist the hook in turning over and avoiding Weeds and like obstructionswith which it may come in contact. Prior to my invention, so far as I amaware, the guard of every hook of this character has been either aspringguard or a spring-actuated guard, and I have found from experiencethat such guards, when stiff enough to serve the purpose of guardingagainst the hooking of weeds, are generally stiff enough to interferewith the proper hooking of the fish, as well as tending to aid the fishin throwing the hook out of his mouth when the fish is inseourelyhooked, and this is especially true in casting for large or game fish,in which sport alarge and heavy bait that practically covers andconceals the hook is generally employed, such as a frog or a chunk ofsalt pork.

The purpose of my invention is to avoid these objections by providingthe hook witha flexible but non-elastic guard, which while subservingall the purposes of the ordinary spring-guard hook retains all theadvantages of an ordinary unguarded hook by reason of the guard yieldingreadily to pressure and remaining wherever forced, so that it does notexert any pressure in any direction or tend in any wise to assist thefish in his efforts to throw out the hook, but on the contrary wouldrather interfere with such operation by projecting directly in front ofthe fishs nose.

The object of my invention is attained by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a side elevation of afish-hook embodying my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in whichthe hook and bait are taken by a fish. Fig. 3 illustrates the positionof the guard after the fish has taken the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates afish-hook of any suitable construction, being ordinarily composed ofsteel bent in the usual form and having the spear-point B properlydisposed with relation to the shank thereof. To the shank of this hook Isecure in any suitable manner,

preferably by a lump of solder 0, one end of a guard D, the opposite endof which terminates close to and preferably is of sufficient length tolie against the under side of the point B of the hook. The guard D inthe books which I have made and used has been composed of a piece ofcopper wire; but, so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention,the guard may be composed of any other kind of wire or other materialthat is flexible and non-elastic which will subserve the intendedpurpose. This guard I prefer, as before stated, to attach to the shankof the hook by means of a lump of solder; but obviously it may beattached thereto in any other suit+ able, convenient, or desirablemanner, such as by winding and pressing the end of the guard around theshank of the hook or by a suitable wrapping, or, indeed, by any othermeans which may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, whichmeans are so obvious as not to require illustration or descriptionherein. I also prefer to form a groove E in the end of the guard, whichmay be flattened and slightly enlarged at the end to receive and form amore effective guard for the sharp point of the hook, although suchgroove is not essential to the broad idea of my invention.

In the use of my hook the tongue will be bent down practically to theposition shown in Fig. 3, when the bait-such as a minnow, frog, or chunkof meat-is applied to the hook and the guard must be bent back again incontact with or adjacent to the point of the hook in order to preparethe hook for service. During service, when a fish takes the hook and itsjaws close down thereon, the guard will be easily flexed and bent downto substantially the position shown in Fig. 3, offering no resistance tothe taking of the book by r the fish, but remaining in whatever positionit is forced to by the pressure. Each time a fish is caught or the hookrebaited the guard must of course be flexed or bent away from the pointof the hook and reset; but any objection which may be made to thisnecessary manipulation of the guard will be far more than offset in themind of the sportsman-like fisherman by the advantages gained in theaction of the hook in the water and when it is taken by the fish. Theseadvantages are of paramount importance as compared with the slighteffort necessary to manipulate the hook, as I have found by practicaluse of my invention by myself and others that the percentage of fishlost after striking at the hook is far less than that with the ordinaryspringguarded hook.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

.flexible non-elastic guard rigidly secured at one end to the shank ofthe hook and terminating at its opposite free end adjacent to the pointof the hook, said free end being provided with a groove in which thepoint of the hook lies substantially as and for the purpose described.

ROBERT KOEN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR I. WYMAN, FRANK T. MURRAY.

